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Hamlet (1996 film)

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Hamlet
File:Hamlet 1996 poster.jpg
Film poster
Directed byKenneth Branagh
Written byWilliam Shakespeare
Produced byDavid Barron
StarringKenneth Branagh
Julie Christie
Billy Crystal
Gérard Depardieu
Charlton Heston
Derek Jacobi
Jack Lemmon
Rufus Sewell
Robin Williams
Kate Winslet
CinematographyAlex Thomson
Edited byNeil Farrell
Music byPatrick Doyle
Production
company
Distributed byColumbia Pictures
Release date
  • December 25, 1996 (1996-12-25)
Running time
242 minutes
CountriesTemplate:Film UK
Template:Film US
LanguageEnglish
Budget$18 million[1]
Box office$4,708,156[1]

Hamlet is a 1996 film version of William Shakespeare's classic play of the same name, adapted for the screen and directed by Kenneth Branagh, who also stars in the titular role as Prince Hamlet. The film also features Derek Jacobi as King Claudius, Julie Christie as Queen Gertrude, Kate Winslet as Ophelia, Michael Maloney as Laertes, Richard Briers as Polonius, and Nicholas Farrell as Horatio. Other notable appearances include Robin Williams, Gérard Depardieu, Jack Lemmon, Billy Crystal, Rufus Sewell, Charlton Heston, Richard Attenborough, Judi Dench, and John Gielgud.

The film is notable as the first unabridged theatrical film version of the play, running just over four hours. The longest version of the play prior to the 1996 film was the 1980 BBC made-for-television version starring Derek Jacobi, which runs three-and-a-half hours.

Although the dialogue is unchanged in the 1996 Hamlet, the play's setting is updated to the 19th century. Blenheim Palace is the setting used for the exterior grounds of Elsinore Castle and interiors were all photographed at Shepperton Studios, blended with the footage shot at Blenheim. Hamlet is also the last major dramatic motion picture to be filmed entirely in 70 mm film as of 2012.

Hamlet was highly received by the majority of critics and has been regarded as one of the best Shakespeare film adaptations ever made.[2][3][4][5] However, it was not a box office success, grossing just under $5 million on a budget of $18 million.[1] The film received four Academy Award nominations for the 69th Academy Awards for Best Art Direction (Tim Harvey), Best Costume Design (Alexandra Byrne), Best Original Score (Patrick Doyle), and Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay) (Kenneth Branagh).

Cast

Main characters

  • Kenneth Branagh as Prince Hamlet, the story's main protagonist and Prince of Denmark. He is the son of the late King Hamlet and heir to the throne of Denmark. At first, Hamlet is mournful of his father's death and dissatisfied with his mother's swift remarriage to Claudius. However, Hamlet is later told by the ghost of his father King Hamlet that Claudius murdered him, usurping his title. Upon knowing this crime, Hamlet is sworn to revenge his father's murder. Branagh's interpretation of the title role, by his own admission, was considerably less "neurotic" than others, removing the Oedipal fixation so prominently featured in Olivier's 1948 film among others. During the scenes in which Hamlet pretends to be insane, Branagh portrayed the Prince as manic.
  • Derek Jacobi as King Claudius, the story's main antagonist and brother of the late king. Using ear poison, Claudius murdered his brother Hamlet, usurping his title and quickly marrying his wife. At first, believing Hamlet to be mad by the loss of his father and rejection from Ophelia, Claudius is persuaded by Polonius to spy on Hamlet. When Claudius later learns Hamlet knows of the murder, he tries to use Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, two of Hamlet's schoolmates, to have his nephew murdered. Although Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are more than willing to serve Claudius, they have no idea that he wants Hamlet dead.
  • Julie Christie as Gertrude, Queen of Denmark and wife to both the late King Hamlet and King Claudius, whom she married swiftly following the former's passing--ignorant of the foul play that caused his death.
  • Richard Briers as Polonius, the Lord Chamberlain. An impertinent busy-body, Polonius believes Hamlet to be mad and convinces Claudius to spy on him. A frequent Kenneth Branagh collaborator, Briers had worked previously with Branagh on Henry V (1989), Swan Song and Peter's Friends (both 1992), Much Ado About Nothing (1993), Frankenstein (1994), and A Midwinter's Tale (1995).
  • Kate Winslet as Ophelia, noblewoman of Denmark and daughter of Polonius. Ophelia was the romantic interest of Hamlet, until advised by her father Polonius and brother Laertes to end their relationship. She is eventually driven mad by both Hamlet's rejection and her father's murder and drowns herself.
  • Nicholas Farrell as Horatio, a good friend of Hamlet whom he met while attending Wittenberg University. Farrell had previously worked with Branagh on A Midwinter's Tale (1995) and co-starred with him in Othello (1995).
  • Michael Maloney as Laertes, the son of Polonius and brother of Ophelia. After instructing his sister to have no further relations with Hamlet, he departs for Paris. Upon news of his father's murder, Laertes returns to Denmark, leading a mob to storm the castle. Claudius explains to him who the real killer was and incites Laertes to kill Hamlet and avenge Polonius' death. He later conspires with Claudius to murder Hamlet during a fencing duel.
  • Rufus Sewell as Fortinbras, the Norwegian crown prince. Played mostly in flashback and frequently referenced throughout the film, Fortinbras and his army storm Elsinore castle during the final scene, assuming the vacant throne of Denmark.

Supporting characters

  • Robin Williams as Osric, the Elsinore courtier sent by Claudius to invite Hamlet to participate in the duel with Laertes.
  • Gérard Depardieu as Reynaldo, a servant to Polonius. He is sent by Polonius to Paris in order to check up on Laertes.
  • Timothy Spall as Rosencrantz, a courtier friend of Hamlet who is sent by Claudius to spy on Hamlet.
  • Reece Dinsdale as Guildenstern, a courtier friend of Hamlet who is sent by Claudius to spy on Hamlet.
  • Jack Lemmon as Marcellus, a sentry at Elsinore who, with Barnardo, alerts Horatio of the appearance of King Hamlet's Ghost.
  • Ian McElhinney as Barnardo, a sentry at Elsinore who, with Marcellus, alerts Horatio of the appearance of King Hamlet's Ghost.
  • Ray Fearon as Francisco, a sentry at Elsinore and the first character to appear on screen.
  • Brian Blessed as the Ghost of Hamlet's Father, an apparition in the form of the late King who informs Hamlet of his murder and Claudius's usurpation of the throne.
  • Billy Crystal as the First Gravedigger, a sexton digging Ophelia's grave who makes a case as to why she should not receive Christian burial before making quick dialogue with Hamlet. He later presents the skull of the Yorick to Hamlet, not knowing of Hamlet's history with the jester.
  • Simon Russell Beale as the Second Gravedigger
  • Don Warrington as Voltimand, an ambassador sent by King Claudius to Old King Norway.
  • Ravil Isyanov as Cornelius, an ambassador sent by King Claudius to Old King Norway.
  • Charlton Heston as the Player King
  • Rosemary Harris as the Player Queen
  • Richard Attenborough as the English Ambassador
  • John Gielgud as Priam, the King of Troy, played in flashback during the Player King's speech.
  • Judi Dench as Hecuba, the Queen of Troy and wife of Priam, played in flashback during the Player King's speech.
  • John Mills as Old King Norway, uncle of Fortinbras, played in flashback reprimanding his nephew for claims against Denmark.
  • Ken Dodd as Yorick, the King's Jester, played in flashback entertaining the royals of Elsinore during the gravediggers scene.

Production

Origins

Aspects of the film's staging are based on Adrian Noble's recent Royal Shakespeare Company production of the play, in which Branagh had played the title role.[6]

Style

Despite using a full text, Branagh's film is also very visual; it makes frequent use of flashbacks to depict scenes that are either only described but not performed in Shakespeare's text, such as Hamlet's childhood friendship with Yorick, or scenes only implied by the play's text, such as Hamlet's sexual relationship with Kate Winslet's Ophelia.[7] The film also uses very long single takes for numerous scenes.

In a radical departure from previous Hamlet films, Branagh set the internal scenes in a vibrantly colourful setting, featuring a throne room dominated by mirrored doors; film scholar Samuel Crowl calls the setting "film noir with all the lights on."[8] Branagh chose Victorian era costuming and furnishings, using Blenheim Palace, built in the early 18th century, as Elsinore Castle for the external scenes. Harry Keyishan has suggested that the film is structured as an epic, courting comparison with Ben Hur, The Ten Commandments and Doctor Zhivago.[9] As J. Lawrence Guntner points out, comparisons with the latter film are heightened by the presence of Julie Christie (Zhivago's Lara) as Gertrude.[10]

Filming

Hamlet was shot in Panavision Super 70 by Alex Thomson. As of 2012, it was the last feature film to be shot entirely in the 70mm film format.[11]

Music

Untitled
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic link
Film Music on the Web link
Filmtracks link

The score to Hamlet was composed and co-produced by frequent Kenneth Branagh collaborator Patrick Doyle and conducted by Robert Ziegler. Doyle composed three primary themes for the film to accompany the characters of Ophelia, Claudius, and Hamlet, which are varied throughout the score. The "simple, childlike" theme for Ophelia is mostly string-dominant, often performed by a string quartet yet occasionally accompanied by a full string ensemble or mixed chorus. For Claudius, Doyle composed a theme in the form of a demented canon, using more 20th century harmonies. The theme for Hamlet was considered by Doyle to be "the most daunting and elusive" to conceive, before settling upon a more "simple" motif to accompany the contemplative character.[12]

The soundtrack was released 10 December 1996 through Sony Classical Records and features twenty-six tracks of score at a running time of over seventy-six minutes.[13] For his work on the film, Doyle received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Score.

  1. In Pace (3:07) - performed by Plácido Domingo (this is heard in the film during the closing credits)
  2. Fanfare (0:48)
  3. "All that lives must die" (2:40)
  4. "To thine own self be true" (3:04)
  5. The Ghost (9:55)
  6. "Give me up the truth" (1:05)
  7. "What a piece of work is a man" (1:50)
  8. "What players are they" (1:33)
  9. "Out out thou strumpet fortune" (3:11)
  10. "To be or not to be" (1:53)
  11. "I loved you once" (3:27)
  12. "Oh, what a noble mind" (2:41)
  13. "If once a widow" (3:36)
  14. "Now could I drink hot blood" (6:57)
  15. "A foolish prating nave" (1:05)
  16. "Oh heavy deed" (0:56)
  17. "Oh here they come" (4:39)
  18. "My thoughts be bloody" (2:52)
  19. "The doors are broke" (1:20)
  20. "And will 'a not come again?" (1:59)
  21. "Alas poor Yorick" (2:49)
  22. "Sweets to the sweet - farewell" (4:39)
  23. "Give me your pardon sir" (1:24)
  24. "Part them they are incensed" (1:47)
  25. "Goodnight, sweet prince" (3:36)
  26. "Go bid the soldiers shoot" (2:52)

Release

Hamlet was screened out of competition at the 1997 Cannes Film Festival.[14] A shorter edit of the Branagh film, approximately two-and-a-half hours long, was also shown in some markets.[15]

Home media

A 2-Disc DVD was released in the U.S. and Canada on the 14th of August 2007. It includes a full-length commentary by Branagh and Shakespeare scholar Russell Jackson. A Blu-ray Disc was released on the 17th of August 2010 in the U.S. and Canada with similar additional features, including an introduction by Kenneth Branagh, the featurette "To Be on Camera: A History with Hamlet", the 1996 Cannes Film Festival Promo, and a Shakespeare Movies Trailer Gallery.[16]

Reception

Box office

Hamlet was not a success at the box office, mostly due to its limited release. The film earned just over $90,000 in its opening weekend playing on three screens. It made just over $30,000 in foreign markets and ultimately played on fewer than 100 screens in the United States, bringing its total gross to just under $5 million on a budget of $18 million.[1]

Critical response

Hamlet received overwhelmingly positive reviews and currently holds a 94% "Certified Fresh" rating at Rotten Tomatoes.[2] Roger Ebert, film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times, awarded the film four stars, comparing it to Laurence Olivier's lauded 1948 version, stating, "Branagh's Hamlet lacks the narcissistic intensity of Laurence Olivier's (in the 1948 Academy Award winner), but the film as a whole is better, placing Hamlet in the larger context of royal politics, and making him less a subject for pity."[3] Janet Maslin of The New York Times also praised both Branagh's direction and performance, writing, "This Hamlet, like Branagh's version of Much Ado About Nothing, takes a frank, try-anything approach to sustaining its entertainment value, but its gambits are most often evidence of Branagh's solid showmanship. His own performance is the best evidence of all."[17] The New York Review of Books praised the attention given to Shakespeare's language, "giving the meter of the verse a musician's respect";[18] Branagh himself said his aim was "telling the story with utmost clarity and simplicity."[19]

Some critics, notably Stanley Kauffmann, declared the film to be the finest motion picture version of Hamlet yet made. Noted online film critic James Berardinelli wrote the film a glowing four star review and went so far as to declare the Branagh Hamlet the finest Shakespeare adaptation ever, rating it as the best film of 1996, the fourth best film of the 90s, and one of his top 101 favourite films of all time, saying, "From the moment it was first announced that Branagh would attempt an unabridged Hamlet, I never doubted that it would be a worthy effort. After all, his previous forays into Shakespeare have been excellent. Nothing, however, prepared me for the power and impact of this motion picture. Hyperbole comes easily when describing this Hamlet, decidedly the most impressive motion picture of 1996. Nothing else this year has engaged my intellect, senses, and emotions in quite the same way. I have seen dozens of versions of this play (either on screen or on stage), and none has ever held me in such a grip of awe. This may be Branagh's dream, but it is our pleasure."[4]

The film did have its detractors however, with Lloyd Rose of The Washington Post calling it "the film equivalent of a lushly illustrated coffee-table book"[20] and Desson Thomson writing of Branagh's performance "...the choices he makes are usually overextended. When it's time to be funny, he skitters over the top. When he's sad or touched, he makes a mechanical, catching noise in his throat."[21] The notoriously severe John Simon also criticized the film, calling Branagh's performance "brawny" and "not easy to like" and stating that Branagh's direction used "explicitness where Shakespeare [...] settled for subtlety or mere suggestion."[22] Leonard Maltin, who gave the film a positive three stars in his Movie and Video Guide (and gave the Olivier version of Hamlet four stars), praised the cinematography by Alex Thomson, but stated that "Branagh essentially gives a stage performance that is nearly as over-the-top as some of his directorial touches."[23]

Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet ranks #3 on Rotten Tomatoes list of Greatest Shakespeare Movies, just behind Akira Kurosawa's Ran (1985), which ranks in second place, and Branagh's own Henry V (1989), which ranks in first place.[5]

Accolades

Award Category Recipients and nominees Result
Academy Awards Best Art Direction Tim Harvey Nominated
Best Costume Design Alexandra Byrne Nominated
Best Original Score Patrick Doyle Nominated
Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay) Kenneth Branagh Nominated
Art Directors Guild Awards ADG Excellence in Production Design Award Tim Harvey, Desmond Crowe Nominated
British Academy Film Awards Best Costume Design Alexandra Byrne Nominated
Best Production Design Tim Harvey Nominated
British Society of Cinematographers GBCT Operators Award Martin Kenzie Won
Best Cinematography Award Alex Thomson Won
Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards Best Film Kenneth Branagh Nominated
The International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography CAMERIMAGE Golden Frog Award for Best Cinematography Alex Thomson Nominated
Chicago Film Critics Association Awards Best Actor Kenneth Branagh Nominated
Empire Awards Best British Actress Kate Winslet Won
Evening Standard British Film Awards Special Jury Award Kenneth Branagh Won
San Diego Film Critics Society Awards Best Actor Kenneth Branagh Won
Satellite Awards Best Art Direction and Production Design Tim Harvey Nominated
Best Cinematography Alex Thomson Nominated
Best Costume Design Alex Byrne Nominated
Best Original Score Patrick Doyle Nominated
Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture Kate Winslet Nominated

References

  1. ^ a b c d Hamlet (1996). Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 26 January 2012.
  2. ^ a b "Hamlet (1996)". Rotten Tomatoes. IGN Entertainment, Inc. Retrieved 9 August 2008.
  3. ^ a b Ebert, Roger (24 January 1997). "Hamlet". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 26 January 2012.
  4. ^ a b Berardinelli, James. "Hamlet (1996)". ReelViews.com. Retrieved 26 January 2012.
  5. ^ a b "Greatest Shakespeare Movies". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 21 January 2012.
  6. ^ Crowl, Samuel "Flamboyant Realist: Kenneth Branagh" in Jackson, Russell The Cambridge Companion to Shakespeare on Film (Cambridge University Press, 2000)
  7. ^ Keyishian, p.79
  8. ^ Crowl, p.227
  9. ^ Keyishian, p.78
  10. ^ Guntner, pp.122-123.
  11. ^ Super Panavision Filmography. www.WidescreenMuseum.com. Retrieved 26 January 2012.
  12. ^ Hamlet (1996): (Patrick Doyle). Filmtracks.com. Retrieved 27 January 2012.
  13. ^ Doyle: William Shakespeare's Hamlet (soundtrack). Allmusic. Retrieved 27 January 2012.
  14. ^ "Festival de Cannes: Hamlet". festival-cannes.com. Retrieved 27 September 2009.
  15. ^ Alternate versions for Hamlet. IMDb. Retrieved 26 January 2012.
  16. ^ Hamlet (Includes Blu-Ray Book). Warner Bros. Shop. Retrieved 26 January 2012.
  17. ^ Maslin, Janet (15 December 1996). "Hamlet". The New York Times. Retrieved 4 May 2010.
  18. ^ O'Brien, Geoffrey New York Review of Books 6 February 1997, cited by Samuel Crowl, "Framboyant Realist: Kenneth Branagh" in Jackson, Russell The Cambridge Companion to Shakespeare on Film (Cambridge University Press, 2000) p.228
  19. ^ Branagh, Kenneth Introduction and Notes to Much Ado About Nothing: Screenplay p.ix cited by Crowl, p.228
  20. ^ "'Hamlet': Kenneth Branagh's Inaction Flick". The Washington Post. 1997-07-22. Retrieved 4 May 2010.
  21. ^ "Branagh's 'Hamlet': Not to Be". The Washington Post. 22 July 1997. Retrieved 4 May 2010.
  22. ^ http://books.google.com/books?id=1qKqcD3VMi0C&pg=PA519&dq=john+simon+review+kenneth+branagh+hamlet&hl=en&sa=X&ei=m5BBT4rhLoO42wW59bWVCA&ved=0CDAQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false
  23. ^ http://books.google.com/books?id=6EgPDierNGUC&pg=PA572&lpg=PA572&dq=leonard+maltin+hamlet+1996&source=bl&ots=AkFbeVQqrw&sig=6QtnC81h6k80WSWgAOVVflA2a9s&hl=en&sa=X&ei=pvV3T6i6EMb62AW9oJm2Bg&ved=0CEIQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q&f=false

See also


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